Significance of Fasting
Fasting is a practice steeped in ancient traditions, serving spiritual, religious, and health purposes. Cultures across the world, such as those within the ‘Blue Zones’ like Ikaria, have observed fasting for centuries, signifying its deep-rooted importance in human practices. It’s compared to regular servicing needed for vehicles, suggesting our bodies similarly require periods of rest from digestion to maintain optimal health. Fasting should be a conscious process without forceful denial of food, preparing mentally, physically, and socially for the process.
Optimal Timing for Fasting
Recognizing the natural cycles of the body, known as a ‘mandala,’ which is approximately every 40 to 48 days, fasting is recommended when the body shows no signs of hunger. In alignment with these cycles, the day of Ekadashi, following the lunar calendar, is considered ideal for fasting due to the specific planetary positions that naturally diminish hunger. Or any day is good to fast if the body is not asking for food.
Physiological Benefits of Fasting
Nobel laureate Yoshinori Ohsumi’s research on autophagy underscores fasting’s cellular benefits, including a significant increase in T cell production, which bolsters the body’s defense mechanisms. Systematic fasting can lead to weight loss, improved vision, youthful energy, enhanced immunity, better blood sugar control, reduced inflammation, and even inhibition of cancer cell growth and aging.
Different Fasting Levels
Fasting can vary from intermittent practices, involving meal skipping, to more rigorous forms like fruit diets, fluid fasting, and dry fasting. Each level caters to different intensities and health goals, with the highest level, dry fasting, significantly improving immune cell function.
Breaking the Fast
The process of breaking a fast is as crucial as the fast itself, with a recommended gradual reintroduction of foods starting with fluids and light meals. This careful process ensures the body’s detoxification and prevents negative symptoms that can arise from abrupt dietary changes.
Concluding Thoughts
The adage by E.H. Dewey, M.D., encapsulates the philosophy of fasting: “Take away food from a sick man’s stomach, and you have begun not to starve the sick man, but the disease.” This sentiment echoes the therapeutic essence of fasting, which continues to resonate in modern health practices.
Dr. Sindhuja Ravi
Acupuncturist & Naturopath